But there are still many questions about what he was really doing there.
Five days after Russia ordered him to leave, Ryan Fogle was spotted at Moscow airport going through passport control and security and is believed to be headed home.
Fogle has been at the center of a Russian media frenzy since his arrest last Tuesday when Russian intelligence agents claim that they caught him trying to recruit a spy who was a specialist in the Caucasus — the region where the alleged Boston bomber was born. They released a recording as evidence in which someone says, “You can earn up to $1 million per year and I’ll give $100,000 up front, but only if we meet right now. Yes or no?”
Fogle’s alleged spy kit included an ill-fitted blonde wig, sunglasses, a compass, and thousands of Euros. Russian media mocked him as an amateur.
CBS News national security analyst Juan Zarate thinks this case is out of the ordinary. “What is apparent is the Russians have wanted to make this incredibly public,” Zarate said. “These kinds of spy cases are usually handled in the shadows.”
In an interrogation video, Russian agents can be heard talking about the recent Boston bombing. They expressed shock that an American dared to spy on them when they’re helping the U.S. with an investigation.
Zarate said, “To not only demonstrate that they did in fact help and give leads but also that the U.S. should be very careful about pursuing these matters on their own.”
No U.S. official has acknowledged whether Fogle worked for the CIA, only that the 29-year-old was an embassy staffer.
Watch Margaret Brennan’s full report in the video above.
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